Ted Peate's career was brief but never dull. He started as part of a traveling side - known as the `Clown Cricketers' - and was spotted and recruited by Yorkshire. A legspinner who relied on accuracy rather than great turn, he was at his best on wet wickets and, for a few seasons, was arguably the best bowler in the world. In 1881-82 at The Oval he opened the bowling and took 4 for 31 and 4 for 40 (England lost by seven runs) and in 1883 took 8 for 5 against Surrey and was criticised for ending the match early and so halving gate receipts! But he fell foul of the despotic Lord Hawke at Yorkshire and his county career was effectively ended by 1886 - he was still only 31. He continued to play with great success in Leeds club cricket, despite an ever expanding girth, and died of pneumonia a few days after his 45th birthday. Wisden wrote that "he would have lasted longer had he ordered his life more carefully".Martin Williamson

Wisden obituaryEdmund Peate, the most famous slow bowler of his day, died on March 11, at Newlay, near Leeds. Though he had long since ceased to take part in first-class cricket - dropping out of the Yorkshire eleven at the beginning of the season of 1887 - he was quite a young man. He was born at Holbeck on March 2, 1856. His career was exceptionally brilliant while it lasted, but very short. Earning a place in the Yorkshire team in 1879 he rose in the following season to the top of the tree, and there he remained till the end of 1884, succeeding Alfred Shaw as the representative slow-bowler of England. There ought to have been many more years of good work before him, but he put on weight to a great extent, and in the summer of 1886 it became evident that his day was over. Without using a harsh word, it may fairly be said that he would have lasted longer if he had ordered his life more carefully. He never entirely lost his skill, as a bowler, and even up to the last year or two he was successful in club cricket in and around Leeds. At his best he was a great bowler. As to that there cannot be two opinions, though it is true that he was fortunate at the outset of his career in playing in very wet seasons. He did not set store on a big break, but on most wickets he could make the ball do enough to beat the bat, and his pitch was a marvel of accuracy. He has had brilliant successors in the Yorkshire eleven in Peel and Rhodes, but many batsmen- W. L. Murdoch among the number-who met him in his prime are of opinion that as a left-handed slow bowler he has never been equalled. The immediate cause of his death was pneumonia, but his health had been in a bad state for some time.

Some of his best performances with the ball were-

6 wickets for 14 runs,

Yorkshire v. Middlesex,

at Huddersfield,

1879.

5 wickets 11 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Derbyshire,

at Derby,

1880.

14 wickets 130 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Sussex,

at Brighton,

1881.

14 wickets 77 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Surrey,

at Huddersfield.

8 wickets 71 for runs,

England v. Australia,

at the Oval,

1882.

8 wickets 57 for runs,

Shaw and Shrewsbury"s XI.

at Sydney,

1882.

6 wickets 12 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Derbyshire,

at Derby,

1882.

8 wickets 32 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Middlesex,

at Sheffield,

1882.

8 wickets 5 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Surrey,

at Holbeck,

1883.

5 wickets 17 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Notts,

at Sheffield,

1883.

6 wickets 13 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Gloucestershire,

at Moreton-in-Marsh,

1884.

10 wickets 51 for runs,

North of England v. the Australians,

at Manchester,

1884.

10 wickets 45 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Derbyshire,

at Huddersfield,

1885.

6 wickets 17 for runs,

England v. Shaw"s Australian XI.,

at Lord"s,

1885.

9 wickets 21 for runs,

Yorkshire v. Sussex,

at Huddersfield,

1886.

In all first-class matches in 1882 he obtained 214 wickets at a cost of 2466 runs.

He first represented the Players against the Gentlemen in 1881, and took part in the matches for six yeas, bowling in 11 matches (21 innings), 3227 balls for 996 runs, and 39 wickets, average 25.53.Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

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